Month: September 2024

Source: United States Navy

SAN DIEGO — The fleet replenishment oiler USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), the Military Sealift Command’s newest ship, was christened during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif., today.

The event was attended by Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro; Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment; Vice Adm. John F. G. Wade, commander, U.S. THIRD Fleet; Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Installations and Logistics; Rear Adm. Thomas J. Anderson, Program Executive Officer, Ships; Capt. Micah Murphy, commander, Military Sealift Command Pacific; U.S. Merchant Marine Capt. Lee Apsley, Stone’s civil service master; as well as executives and employees of NASSCO San Diego.

The ship honors American suffragist Lucy Stone, who joined other notable advocates such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Ernestine Rose, and Antoinette Brown Blackwell to petition for suffrage and abolition in the 19th century. Her efforts as a founder of the Women’s National Loyal League were essential to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery.

“In choosing to name this ship after Lucy Stone, Secretary Mabus and Secretary Berger knew the legacy of this remarkable woman, who dedicated her life to freedom and to equality for all, “said Deborah Donnley Simmons, Stone co-sponsor. “Her legacy will continue to be told, as this ship sails throughout the world.”

The official christening moment happened when the ship’s co-sponsors, Alicia Aadnesen
Deborah Donley Simmons broke a bottle of champagne over the ship’s bow with the words, “For the United States of America, I christen you the USNS Lucy Stone. May God bless this ship and all who sail on her.” Following the christening moment, the ship blew her horns and slid down the rails, amid a fanfare of music from the Navy Band Southwest and red, white and blue streamers.

“The enduring legacy of Lucy Stone as a trailblazer in the women’s rights movement remains an indelible source of inspiration today,” said Mabus. “How extraordinary that all of these years later, today, our United States Navy is headed-up by the Chief of Naval Operations, a female by the name of Adm. Lisa Franchetti. It would not have been possible if it had not been for the efforts of Lucy Stone.”

The 746-foot Stone is the fifth ship in the new John Lewis-class previously known as the TAO(X). This class of oilers has the ability to carry 162,000 barrels of diesel ship fuel, aviation fuel and dry stores cargo. The upgraded oiler is built with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks and will be equipped with a basic self-defense capability. The Lewis-class of oilers will replace the current Kaiser Class fleet replenishment oilers as they age out of the MSC fleet. The ship will be manned by a crew of about 100 civilian Merchant Mariners, sailing under the operational control of MSC.

“In order to maintain sustained operations at sea, our Navy warships rely on Military Sealift Command’s Combat Logistics Fleet,” said Mabus. “Despite the challenges posed by shortfalls in numbers, MSC continues to play a vital roll in supporting our nation’s logistics readiness. I thank all of our Merchant Mariners for answering our national call to maritime service, and for their ongoing efforts to recruit and maintain our critical capabilities!”

Source: United States Navy

VARNA, Bulgaria – Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Company (MDS) 2-3 operated alongside NATO allies and partners at Exercise Sea 24-3, Sept. 9-20, 2024. This collaborative exercise aims to address the current maritime mine threat, collective demining capabilities, and effective means of enhancing Black Sea regional maritime security.

In its 23rd iteration, Sea Breeze is an annual, multinational maritime exercise, originally co-hosted by Ukraine and U.S. 6th Fleet to enhance interoperability and capabilities among participating forces.

For Sea Breeze 24.3, U.S. 6th Fleet led the pre-planning and coordinated logistics, and EODMU 8, a subordinate command of Commander Task Force (CTF) 68 headquartered in Rota, Spain, led the planning and execution, sharing extensive expeditionary mine countermeasure (exMCM) knowledge and capabilities with NATO allies and partners. Countries participating, observing, or mentoring during Sea Breeze 24-3 included Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Japan, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, and U.S.

U.S. Navy expeditionary forces such as EODMU 8 have had a consistent presence in the Black Sea and have a longstanding history of training alongside partner nations on tactics, techniques, and procedures for mine threat operations in order to enhance our shared lethality and support freedom of navigation.

“EOD Mobile Unit 8 operates consistently with outstanding professionalism, and every member of the Thunderstealer team plays a critical role in ensuring mission success,” said Cmdr. John Kennedy, commander, EOD Mobile Unit 8. “Exercises like Sea Breeze allow us to share our knowledge, techniques, and best practices with our NATO Allies and partners for enhanced agility and interoperability in future mine countermeasure operations and demining the Black Sea.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Allied and partner nations have counter charged over 100 floating mines. As this threat increases, EOD forces have a responsibility to prepare for a large-scale post-conflict demining effort.

“Our goal for this year’s Sea Breeze is to improve freedom of navigation in the Black Sea region for the security and stability of the Black Sea nations,” said Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “We’ll do this through continued training and by enhancing interoperability to counter the floating mine threat in the Black Sea.”

The mines in the Black Sea region pose a significant danger to civilian ships, disrupt exports, and threaten freedom of navigation.

“Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, there is currently a mine concern in international waters, and our job is to mitigate that,” said Kennedy. “We’ve shown our standards to our partners and allies, we’ve practiced our techniques shoulder-to-shoulder, and that builds confidence when we are called to mitigate explosive threats in the Black Sea. Our support to Ukraine has never been stronger.”

In response to the current mine threat, NATO members Bulgaria, Romania, and Türkiye joined forces to tackle this issue through the Mine Countermeasures Task Group Black Sea (MCM Black Sea).

Collaboration between NATO members in support of MCM Task Group Black Sea underscores the importance of collective security efforts to restore safety and stability in the region.

Multinational exercises like Sea Breeze are a tangible representation of the agility and cooperation made possible through partnership in the dynamic security environment of the Black Sea.

“The greatest value we’ve gained from Sea Breeze is an understanding how each unit of action operates, and then learning to operate together in order to be the most lethal combined force in a future conflict,” said Lt. Jon Miller, EOD company commander, EODMU 8. “We’re able to enhance the tactics, techniques, and procedures of all participating units at the exercise, and then flex those capabilities in the event of real-world operations.”

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, a subordinate command of EODGRU 2, is also participating in Sea Breeze 24-3, with a focus on diving and salvage training. MDS Company 2-3, currently deployed to U.S. 6th Fleet, trained alongside partners and Allies from Ukraine and Romania on surface supplied diving, underwater cutting and welding, and other skills to enhance harbor clearance and battle damage repair capabilities.

“Operating and exchanging knowledge on battle damage repair in this area of operations is our unit’s first opportunity to train the techniques and capabilities in a region with real world implications,” said Chief Navy Diver Michael Christensen, company master diver, MDSU 2. “We are in the Black Sea, doing this with the Ukrainian salvage divers, and their military is currently engaged in conflict. After Sea Breeze, they can return to the fight and utilize these skills for harbor clearance.”

Navy EOD is the only community with mine warfare as a core competency, and our capabilities directly support deterrence of aggression, promote freedom of navigation and stability, and contribute directly to the fight for sea control. Our unique ability to conduct explosive ordnance disposal operations and clear hazards underwater make Navy EOD crucial in a future fight for sea control – protecting our own and our partners’ bases, harbors and sea lanes, sea transport capabilities, mobility and combat strength.

CTF 68 provides explosive ordnance disposal operations, naval construction, expeditionary security, and theater security efforts in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.

EODGRU 2 operates as part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and provides skilled, capable, and combat-ready deployable Navy EOD and Navy Diver forces around the globe to support a range of operations.

Details of Sea Breeze 2024 activities and imagery are available at http://www.c6f.navy.mil and https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/seabreeze24.

For the full collection of photos of EODGRU2 operating at Sea Breeze 2024, and news about U.S. Navy EOD, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/EODG-2.

Source: United States Navy

New York-based Sea Cadets and Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets attended the event, held at the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square.

“Having these young Sea Cadets and NJROTC cadets – the future of our nation – learn about our climate and energy technologies was a fantastic way for the Department of the Navy to kick off its participation in Climate Week NYC,” said Berger. “They understand firsthand how climate change is impacting our world today, and we were able to help make the connection for them of how climate readiness is mission readiness for our Sailors and Marines.”

DON researchers and engineers from various commands showcased technologies, such as hydrogen-powered fuel cells, small unit power systems, water-conserving firefighting nozzles, atmospheric water generation, and green concrete, to educate the students about the DON’s commitment to climate action and inspire them about DON careers in climate- and energy-focused roles.

Madeleine White, resilience innovation research portfolio manager at Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, explained green concrete, which uses sustainable materials to reduce traditional concrete’s environmental impact, such as lowering the carbon footprint of construction. 

“Working on this [technology] as it is as an engineer has been great, but being able to show it to the individuals who are one day going to use it or be involved with it makes my job all worthwhile,” White said. “And doing [the event] out in a space like this and having these engineer technologies out in such a public space for people to see is such a fun environment to be in.”

Jeremiah Rodriguez, a junior and NJROTC cadet at Curtis High School in Staten Island, N.Y., said he would think about global warming and its impact.

“It would be in the back of my mind, such as how it would continuously get hotter,” he said. “One day, it’ll get to the point where you can cook an egg on the sidewalk. With this new technology, I really hope we can figure out a way to significantly reduce the impact of climate change. After this presentation, I really find it hopeful for our generation’s future.”

Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together more than 600 events and activities across New York City in person, hybrid and online. Climate Group hosts the official program during the week that brings together the most senior international figures from business, government, civil society and the climate sector. 

This year, Climate Week NYC is being held Sept. 22-29, 2024. The event takes place every year in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.

In May 2022, the Department of the Navy released Climate Action 2030 in which Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro recognized climate change as one of the most destabilizing forces of our time and charged the Department with building a climate-ready force.

Berger is responsible for providing oversight and policy for Navy and Marine Corps energy and climate resilience; infrastructure sustainment, restoration and modernization; military construction; acquisition, utilization and disposal of real property and facilities; environmental protection, planning, restoration and natural resources conservation; and safety and occupational health.

Source: United States Navy

BALTIMORE (Sept 20, 2024) – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that the future Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine SSN 812 will be named USS Baltimore. Del Toro made the announcement during a ship naming ceremony held in Baltimore aboard the historic USS Constellation, Sept. 20.

The future USS Baltimore honors the city of Baltimore, the crews of one Continental Navy ship, and the five previous Navy vessels named Baltimore.

The naming selection of the future USS Baltimore (SSN 812) continues the recent trend of naming Virginia-class submarines after cities. Del Toro previously named USS Long Island (SSN 809), USS San Francisco (SSN 810), and USS Miami (SSN 811).

“The city of Baltimore maintains a strong connection with our maritime services and is a critical enabler of our National Maritime Statecraft,” said Del Toro. “It is my honor and privilege to announce the name of the next Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine, SSN-812, USS Baltimore.” 

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin joined Del Toro for the ceremony honoring Baltimore.

“Maryland is proud of our connection to the Navy and our strong history as a coastal state,” said Cardin. “I am excited that the next USS Baltimore will be sailing the seas again as the Navy’s newest submarine. Our Navy maintains and protects free and open international waters. From defending our young nation from pirates in the late 1700s to ensuring freedom of navigation today in the Red Sea and Taiwan Strait, our Navy is always on watch.”

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also served as a guest in the official party and spoke about the honor and meaning behind the naming of the Navy’s newest submarine.

“We are honored that Baltimore is being represented across the globe once again with the naming of this future ship,” said Scott. “As a city with such a rich naval and maritime history, the naming of the USS Baltimore ensures that legacy will continue to live on for decades to come. I want to extend my deepest thanks and gratitude to the U.S. Navy for this honor and for continuing to uplift our city, including all Baltimoreans who choose to serve.”

Along with the ship’s name, Del Toro also announced Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In her role as sponsor, she will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

“When Baltimore joins the fleet, with a world-class crew, it will be among the most agile, lethal, resilient, and capable conventional nuclear-powered submarines we’ve ever made,” said Hicks. “Make no mistake about Baltimore’s purpose, like all of our submarines, conventional and otherwise, we build them not to provoke war, but rather to prevent wars, through deterrence.”

The city of Baltimore has significant ties to American and Naval history. The Port of Baltimore was established in 1706 and the Town of Baltimore in 1729. One of the Navy’s six founding frigates, USS Constellation, was built in Baltimore, and the city’s skilled ship workers later would construct the famous Baltimore clipper ships. In 1814, the Battle of Baltimore inspired the American national anthem.

The first Baltimore served in the Quasi-War against France, while the second Baltimore served during the Civil War. The third Baltimore fought in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War and later conducted mine-laying operations in World War I. The fourth Baltimore earned nine battle stars during World War II, fighting in campaigns for the Caroline Islands, Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and Okinawa. The fifth Baltimore participated in undersea operations against the Soviet Union, completing a variety of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The Navy simultaneously decommissioned and struck the most recent vessel from the list on 10 July 1998.

After the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, the Navy provided equities to the established “Key Bridge Response Unified Command.” NAVSEA’s Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) led critical efforts to support the clearance of the Port of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry Federal Channel, responsible for managing all on-scene assets tasked with debris removal and channel clearing. Del Toro personally assessed the site and met with Navy personnel on April 19, 2024.

Attack submarines are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Special Operation Forces (SOF); carry out Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions; support battle group operations; and engage in mine warfare.